Starlight through the Dark
by strands-of-flame
Summary: Marauder- era fic. My take on the 7th year. The darkness is drawing in and threatening to envelop their world. Six students have to grow up quickly amid the chaos that is shattering everything that they know. Can they hold onto the pieces? First Fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary- The darkness is drawing in and threatening to envelop their world. Six students have to grow up quickly amidst the chaos that is shattering everything that they know. Can the hold onto the pieces; fight for friendship and find love throughout it all?**

Chapter 1

She had not been on the train, or even on the platform. He hadn't seen her dive in into a carriage. He would have remembered.

Where was she now? He had looked up and seen her as she was on the bottom stair of the flight she had been descending into the entrance hall, where the students were gathering ready to go into the Great Hall for the feast that would mark the start of the new school year at Hogwarts.

Sirius pushed a lock of his shoulder-grazing jet- black hair out of his stormy blue eyes and craned his neck, though being tall he could easily see over the heads of his fellow students (with the exception of the odd Slytherin meathead). He desperately tried to spot her, but he searched in vain. He could not see her; she was plainly not in the entrance hall.

Suddenly, a well-known voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Looking for us, Padfoot? We thought we'd lost you after we came out of the school carriages" said a young man with messy dark hair of Sirius's own age.

Sirius spun round to the grinning face of his best friend James Potter, who was accompanied by his other best mate, Remus Lupin.

"Hey guys!" he answered, then added cryptically "Now you're here, I won't have to"

Remus shook his head slightly and quite audibly muttered "You have some strange logic Pads…"

James put his own curiosity aside and inquired of his friend " You haven't seen Peter, have you Sirius? He scurried off somewhere just after we got out of the carriage together…"

"Nope Prongs, I haven't" Sirius didn't add that he'd been slightly preoccupied with the fleeting vision of a girl he'd never seen before in his life than wondering where Wormtail had gotten too. He'd figured he'd probably be attached to James as was fairly usual at the start of term. In fact, Sirius reflected, Peter had been disappearing off randomly during last term as well, after their end of year exams. And though he, James and Remus had hung out together for a fair chunk of the summer, and owled each other frequently when they were apart, they'd hardly seen Peter or heard any news from him, and it wasn't for lack of trying. Their last school summer, and the only owls they'd gotten were full of excuses. He'd always had "something to do", jobs and events to keep him preoccupied.

"Hello, earth to Padfoot!" Remus' voice snapped him out of his musings

"Merlin's Beard! Sirius, were you actually deep in thought about something just then?!" ribbed James. Then his tone changed from teasing to serious, concerned "Everything ok in there?"

"Yeah, yeah everything's cool guys" he hastily replied, slapping on his lopsided grin, although his friends noticed it didn't reach his eyes.

They gave him a Look.

Sirius for a moment considered giving his troubled family relationships as a reason for his despondency, it usually being pretty high on his list of things that (despite his pretence that they didn't) bothered him. But then he thought, these guys are my best friends, my real brothers.

"It's just…" Sirius twisted his hands nervously. James noticed and inwardly frowned- "Sirius Black, nervous?"

"Well, I don't know quite how to put this, you know Peter's our friend and all…Shit this is hard…"

"Spit it out Sirius" stated James clearly, but not harshly.

"Yeah, well Peter's been disappearing off a lot lately- you noticed it too Remus, at the end of last term he started going off for hours on end, and sometimes on my way back from the kitchens I'd see him skulking round near the dungeons, and then he'd come back to the tower with awkward, lame excuses about where he'd been- you know how crap a liar he is… and well it's just weird"

"What are you suggesting Padfoot?" questioned James warily. After the events that had marred Sirius' summer, he wanted to work out if he had justified suspicions, or if it was just paranoia. He knew it had to be one or the other, though he hoped with all his soul it was neither. Either way, he was concerned more than ever about his best friend.

Before Sirius could answer, feeling that was time to move the conversation out of these dangerous waters, at least until they could be more private, Remus said, in an unusual display of Prefectorial authority to his his friends "Leave it. Let's just enjoy the feast. We'll talk later."

Before either Sirius or James could respond, Professor McGonagall came bustling through from an offset corridor to shoo them into the Great Hall.

**A/N- So, first chapter of my first fanfiction!! I find writing introductions for things a lil' bit tiresome; but I have loads of (hopefully!) good stuff in my notebook!**

**I hope people have enjoyed the first chappie, and will continue to read!**

**Constructive critiscism please!**


	2. Chapter 2

Iona felt small and alone as she slipped between the throngs of students milling around the entrance hall. She felt as if she might drown, unnoticed by anybody in this sea of strangers.

She walked round into a deserted corridor off of the Great Hall, and into the small room that she had been instructed to go to.

"Good Evening Miss Blair" Iona looked up into the strict but fair face of Minerva McGonagall.

"Good Evening, Professor"

"Now, before I can tell you where to move your belongings to, we must first sort you into one of the school houses. We have four, as I'm sure you are aware, which are named after the four great founders of our school, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Each house favours certain qualities above others, and each new student is sorted based upon their character.

I took the executive decision that, since you were new into the Seventh year, I would give you a private sorting ceremony, instead of having you join in with the First year's one, so that you might settle in with the students without being paraded before them. I hope that this arrangement suits you?"

Iona spoke gratefully "yes, thank you, Professor". She had no desire to be singled out.

"Now, we'd better start, before those students out there start a riot for their dinner! Now, if you would please sit in this chair _here" _she said, pulling a chair across the room with a sweeping of her wand. "Now, I shall go and get the sorting hat."

Iona sat, alone with her thoughts, until Professor McGonagall returned, carrying reverently before her the most patched, worn, tattered and, frankly, filthy wizard's hat she had ever seen.

"This" said Professor McGonagall as she laid it on a small table "Is the Hogwarts' Sorting Hat". And before Iona had time to comprehend, a huge tear at where the brim attached to the body of the hat opened, and spoke

"So, you're the new girl are you? Now, you'll forgive me for not giving you a private rendition of this year's song..." Iona looked quizzically at Professor McGonagall who enlightened her " the Sorting Hat sings a new song each year, before all the new students are sorted, right before the start of the feast". The Sorting Hat continued "so have no fear, you will not miss out, dear girl".

"Yes Sir." Strange s it may seem, Iona could not imagine now addressing the Sorting Hat in any other way than that of a teacher. She felt a sudden and great respect for what she knew to be the great soul inside the battered old Hat.

"Let the Sorting now begin"

Iona felt a small sense of apprehension, but as soon as Professor McGonagall set the hat upon her head, the feeling evaporated with the jolt of excitement that shot through her body.

The Hat was silent for a moment, but then she felt it murmur in her ear.

"Hmm, well, you're a complex one aren't you? No doubt you are already aware of what magic you shine in, but I don't think you are aware of just how powerful you will become. I can see this, not only through your profound magical ability, but through _you_, you yourself. I see that you are loyal, compassionate, faithful and trustworthy, brave- and yet although you have a quiet and gentle spirit, tucked away deep inside is that infamous redhead temper which means you will not suffer injustice or cruelty to happen to those that you love. But be careful, once let out your temper may also be your undoing if you find yourself unable to control it and allow it to hinder your judgement and induce you to rashness. I see in you good moral values and a strong conscience. But above all you are one of the purest young people I have ever me. Yes, untainted and pure. Hold onto that. You do not understand it, how or why, now, but you will, when it matters most.

But without taking up too much more of Minerva's time- I know she is anxious to get started, I proclaim you to now be a..." and here that Hat spoke out loud-

"Gryffindor!"

And as the Hat was being removed from her head it whispered once more inside her ear "may your time here be blesses. Remember what I have said".

"I will" she answered in her head. "I will".

Iona looked up into the beaming face of professor McGonagall.

"Well, then, before you go back through to the Entrance Hall, I'd better change your colour scheme."

She gave her wand a complicated swirl and a flick, and Iona's plain black school tie formed itself into red and gold stripes, and her sweater and cloak were emblazoned with the Gryffindor crest.

"And the rest of your school uniform in your trunk will have followed suit"

"Thank you Professor" McGonagall nodded her head and dismissed Iona with a flick of her hand and a small smile.

Iona walked back into the deserted stone corridor, apprehensive and shy about joining the waiting throng of students, then, just as she came into the light of the entrance hall, the massive doors to the Great Hall swung open with a resounding groan and crash.

**A/N....any thoughts so far? Constructive criticism/encouragement only please! **


	3. Chapter 3

Iona followed the school mass into the Great Hall and noticed them separating off onto four long tables, which she rightly assumed must belong to each of the four houses.

She noticed a pair of girls who looked around her age, wearing the same colour tie as she herself sported, sat halfway up the long table on the far left of the room. She took a deep breath, pulled her head and shoulders up and walked up towards them.

"Hi" she said with shy smile "would you mind if I joined you?"

"Of course not! Sit down and have a drink of pumpkin juice" invited the girl nearest her, a pretty girl with softly wavy red hair, a slightly darker shade than Iona's own, and bright green eyes.

Her friend next to her asked Iona "Are you new this term?"

Iona nodded shyly, sat down opposite them and accepted with thanks the goblet of juice passed to her. She took a sip and then said "I'm so sorry, I completely forgot to introduce myself. My name is Iona. Iona Blair that is."

The girl with red hair said "my name is Lily Evans, and I'm one of the Gryffindor seventh year prefects". She added "Iona- that's such a pretty, unusual name!"

Iona blushed at this observation

Lily's friend answered "Tis a pretty name, though as for unusual, I'm not wholly convinced- we're in a wizard school, Lily, and wizards don't half 'take the biscuit' with uncommon names sometimes! Anyway, I'm Erin O' Ryan myself, seventh year, but I'm not a prefect. I only started at Hogwarts after the Easter holidays in our Fifth year-"

But she cut herself off abruptly as she saw the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore rise to his feet from the Staff Table that was on a raised dais at the top of the room. The three girls turned on their seats to face the Staff Table.

Professor Dumbledore beamed and spread his arms wide.

"Welcome one and all, and I am glad to see you all back again safe and whole- if not quite a few inches taller than last year!" he said with a sudden twinkle in his eye, "But before I get carried away, let us first have the sorting of the First Year students, who have just arrived safely across the lake."

Dumbledore clapped his hands together once and one of the hall doors swung open, and in through it came the largest man Iona had ever seen.

"That's Hagrid" whispered Lily to Iona.

Hagrid led the long, trailing line of eleven year olds up between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables. As he passes the place where the three girls were sat he flashed a quick grin at Lily and Erin who smiled back at him.

The procession stopped when they reached the dais upon which the staff table was situated. Hagrid left his charges and went and took his place at the end of the staff table next to a portly, middle aged man in a green velvet waistcoat, silver silk cravat and a black stiff collared shirt. Hagrid doffed his great, pocketed overcoat over the back of his chair, and pushed his hand back through his tangled brown hair, and attempted (without success) to smooth down his wild beard.

Professor McGonagall rose from her seat next to Dumbledore, and came round to the front of the staff table, and stood next to a three-legged stool upon which sat the Sorting Hat. She tapped her wand into the palm of her hand, and in it appeared a scroll and from it she read the first name off the list.

"Arron, William"

A tall (in comparison to the rest of the first years) boy with shoulder length, untidy blonde hair walked towards the front, the nervous way his eyes darted around the room belying his would-be confident walk. He mounted the dais and sat on the stool, and the hat was set upon his head, and after a few moments it cried out "Gryffindor". The Gryffindor table erupted in clapping and cheers. Iona clapped as their new arrival, with an air of relief, joined the table.

Professor McGonagall continued to call out names one by one. "Ayr, Fiona", went to Ravenclaw. "Brown, Tom" followed suit and "Carter, Rose" went to Slytherin. As more names were called out, Iona's attention began to drift. She contemplated her two new acquaintances, whom she hoped she would very soon call 'friends'. Lily had pretty creamy skin with a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her dark red, almost auburn hair fell in soft waves to below her shoulders and she had pulled the top section of it off her face and into a ponytail. Her eyes were deep green and sparkling with intelligence. About her countenance Iona notices a look of sort of shy self-assurance; and took in the shiny red and gold prefects badge pinned proudly onto the front of her crisp and tidy school robes.

Her attentions turned to Lily's friend Erin. Erin was of typical Irish colouring; porcelain skin with a slight rosy stain to her cheeks. She had a head of wild, soft black curls, pinned into a loosening thick bun and the back of her head, with a couple of black curls framing her pointed face. She had a determined mouth, slightly upturned nose and her eyes were a crystalline blue framed with long black lashes. She had pushed back her uniform sleeves, and her tie was slightly loosened.

Iona was beginning to wonder if either of them had any siblings at Hogwarts, when a certain name sharply interrupted her thoughts.

"O'Ryan, Brynn"

Iona's unasked question was answered when Erin turned to quickly whisper excitedly to her and Lily "that's one of my little cousins! Her twin 'll be right behind her."

Iona observed that Brynn was almost her big cousin in miniature, with elbow length black curls pulled back into a ponytail and the same bright blue eyes.

The Hat was set on Brynn's head and quickly sorted her into "Gryffindor!"

Iona saw Erin beaming proudly as she watched her little cousin skip down towards to Gryffindor table and sit with the other new Gryffindors at the top end of the table.

Iona heard Erin mutter to Lily "right, I wonder where they'll stick her partner-in-crime."

Brynn's brother was called up "O'Ryan, Conner." He sat on the stool and gave his sister a quick grin. The hat was set upon his head and he was sorted into "Ravenclaw!" Iona looked at Erin, who didn't look disappointed. "I'm not surprised. He's the definite academic of the family. He'll probably end up a Healer or something. Besides, the Ravenclaw's are a pretty decent bunch."

By the time Professor McGonagall had reached the 'M's, Iona was beginning to become distracted again; she looked up the table and saw a young man her age with jet black hair looking intently at her. He caught her eye, inclined his head to her and with a slight, half- grin turned his head back towards the Sorting.

This episode slightly disconcerted Iona, but she put it at the back of her mind and concentrated on the sorting.

Finally, "Zabini, Hugo" was sorted into Slytherin. Dumbledore stood up once and clapped his hands

"There are many occasions that command many words; however at this moment, I only have two pearls of wisdom to impart to you-" he clapped his hands twice and the tables filled with a splendid array of food- "Dig In."

This was met with noises of approval from all sides, and a particularly rowdy cheer from further up the Gryffindor table where the black-haired boy and three others were sitting.

At this, she saw Erin and Lily exchange a Look, roll their eyes and shake their heads, with Erin suppressing a grin and Lily's mouth adopting a brief disapproving purse.

"What?" she asked them.

Erin answered her "That, my dear, was the Marauders."

"The Marauders?"

Lily took over here "James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. 'The Marauders' is what they dubbed themselves in about third year. It's an ancient term, derived from Greek, which means swollen headed idiots who act like overgrown children who don't know when to stop and just grow up." She practically spat the last diatribe in a way Iona would never have expected someone so calm looking to do.

"Lily..." Erin started warningly.

"Well to be fair, I suppose Remus isn't that bad. He's a prefect and is the most sensible and polite of the four of them."

"The tallish one with the sandy coloured hair" supplied Erin, adding to Lily "Lils, if you're going to rant, do it quietly Hun"

Lily carried on, albeit quieter and calmer and more conversationally "He just doesn't stop Potter and Black in their antics. And Peter Pettigrew- he's the short one- is just plain irritating. Always running after Potter and Black, practically kissing the ground they walk on, - more pumpkin juice Iona? - And then there's Potter and Black-"

"-That's James and Sirius- the two with black hair, James wears glasses-" interjected Erin.

Lily continued "Don't even get me started on them-"

"No, seriously, _don't. _She'll never stop." Erin put in

"They are both complete and utter prats. They are arrogant, conceited..."

"Too late..." Iona heard Erin mutter.

"...showy, too talented for their own good, irritating, they think that it's totally hilarious to play stupid pranks all of the time, they have this huge fan club of girls- so that they think they're god's gift to the female race, and their lack of manners never ceases to astound me." Lily paused and took a deep breath, and Erin jumped in with

"C'mon Lils, they actually do have good manners; when they speak to me they're usually polite, if a bit cheeky on occasion. They are to you too, if you could just see it. You just won't see past their constant pranking, and that James asks you out on average about three times a day. Oh, no, three times just before breakfast. And, then again every time he sees you." She finished with a slightly amused grin.

Lily blushed. Her best friend's words were more truthful than she liked.

Erin continued with a smirk and a teasing glint in her eyes "Even you Lils, can't deny anymore that in spite of whatever else you might find fault with, at least in the cases of James, Sirius and Remus you certainly can't say that they're unattractive. Those three have all grown about another half foot over the hols, and it looks as though James and Sirius in particular have done nothing but play Quidditch all summer."

Lily stole a quick glance at James, and for the most unfathomable (to her) reason, suddenly felt her heart skip a beat and a curious brief swooping sensation in her stomach. Confused, she blurted in a flustered attempt at her 'prefect voice' "Oh for goodness sakes Erin, stop talking about the Marauders! Besides, I'm sure Iona would like to know much more about Hogwarts than the infamous Marauders, and I'd like to get to know her more. She smiled sincerely at Iona, and Erin thought it best to subside in winding her best friend up and she returned to her plate with a knowing grin on her face.

Lily asked Iona "Where were you sat on the train? We didn't see you at all on the train- not even when I did my Prefect rounds."

Iona answered deliberately calmly; fully aware that her reply would elicit an exclamation "I wasn't on the train. I arrived at Hogwarts yesterday by Floo powder."

"Really?" Erin and Lily asked together.

"Well, I live on Eriskay, in the Outer Hebrides, and it was agreed that it made no sense for me to go all the way to London to come straight back to Scotland for school, especially as I already had a wand and didn't need to go to Ollivander's, and I was able to get my robes, uniform and books either by owl order or in Scottish wizard shops. I got muggle ferries as far as Oban and then Flooed to the school from an old wizard's pub there- 'The Druid and the Stone' I think it was called."

"I've never heard of anyone not taking the train before. Where did you floo into?" asked Lily.

"McGonagall's office at an allotted time. I spent last night in one of the guest rooms."

"Ooh, nice" added Erin "I stayed in one of those when I arrived from Cork. The sea had been so bad on the crossing to Liverpool that I didn't get to Hogwarts 'till nearly two o'clock in the morning."

"Luckily the crossing to Oban was pretty smooth, for a change-" But here, Iona stopped as Dumbledore again rose to his feet. He clapped his hands and the remnants of the feast melted into the table.

"And finally" he started, his voice carrying across the hall with no magical aid "The announcement I am sure many of you have been waiting for. The names of this year's Head Boy and Head Girl."

Iona noticed that at this Lily sat up a bit straighter, a hopeful look on her face.

"Now" continued Dumbledore "These two students do not even know that they have been appointed yet, as we only finalised our decision this morning, so the usual letters were not sent out. However, I am proud to announce that this year, the Head Girl of Hogwarts will be..."

Dumbledore paused, and beaming proclaimed "Lily Evans of Gryffindor" Here a thunderous applause went up, "Come up here, dear girl and get your badge!"

Lily stood up straight, and walked smartly to the front and received her badge from the Headmaster and then, turned to face the school, her face flushed and glowing with happiness, and her green eyes sparkling with un-ushed tears.

"Thank you" she said to the school as Dumbledore raised a finger for silence "I'll do my very best."

Dumbledore spoke again "And this year's Head Boy- also from Gryffindor, will be... James Potter."

Iona saw the jaws of Remus, Sirius and Peter literally drop in incredulation. James sat with a stunned and confused look on his face as again the Hall broke out into thunderous applause, though it was noticeably lacking from the Slytherin table. "James, if you please, come and get your badge." James slowly rose from the bench and walked up to Dumbledore with applause from most of the Hall, and cheers and shouts from the other Marauders.

As Dumbledore pinned on his badge, James said quietly to the Headmaster "Thank you, Sir. I won't let you down." Dumbledore answered quietly "You never have, and I know you never will" and briefly clapped James' shoulder.

Iona and Erin both looked up to see Lily's reaction to the fact that she would be partnering James Potter, of all people, for Head Duties this year, and exchanged a Look. Erin muttered to Iona "I think Dumbledore has officially lost his gobstones."

The look of elation had disappeared from Lily's face and her smile was looking decidedly less natural. The sparkle had gone from her eyes and they were flashing dangerously.

Dumbledore stood, beaming, with Lily and James either side of him- a wise move, Iona thought, given the look on Lily's face- and said "I give you, Lily and James!"

**A/N...oooh, Lily's not happy! Next chapter will be the feast from the Marauders end of the table! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it worries me slightly that this chapter was almost as long as this year's final uni assignment...but hey! ******** Thanks for reading! Please review, constructive criticism/comments always welcome!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- oh yeah, DISCLAIMER: - Hogwarts et al isn't my world, its JKR's. I'm simply having non profit fun playing in it. If it was mine, (which it isn't), I sure as eggs wouldn't be a poor student posting on a Fanfic site! (...no offence...) Iona and Erin are OC's and are mine, but like me, they're playing in JKR's world. (**_**Is that enough of a disclaimer?)**_

**Also this chapter contains some fairly minor profanity (swearing)**

**Now....on with the fic!!**

_(The feast from the Marauder's end of the table)_

"Finally" groaned Sirius as they were hurriedly ushered into the Great Hall by Professor McGonagall. "I'm starving- I swear I could actually eat a hippogriff."

Remus uttered an exclamation "Padfoot, you ate practically a quarter of the trolley on the train!"

"Moony, Moony, Moony" said Sirius shaking his head "That was merely fourses. It is now nearly half past nine."

"The feast's awful late this year" commented James.

They took their usual seats up near the top end of the long Gryffindor table, James and Sirius opposite Remus.

"Bloody Hell, where in Merlin's name has Peter gone?" burst out Sirius "I want to know where he keeps sneaking off to, especially at the moment, with all this shit that's been setting off recently."

"Calm down Pads, and watch your language around the younger students"

For once Sirius didn't tease Remus about the Prefectorial reprimand and continued "Guys, I'm serious- no pun intended for once-"

James cut in here "Sirius, we know you are mate, and, well, I don't like recent events either, but, Remus is right- you need to calm down and shut up. This is not the time to discuss it" said James with a finality and seriousness in his tones that Remus and Sirius had never heard before. "Besides, we should trust Peter- I do. He's our friend, a Marauder."

"You're right- sorry" said Sirius with a half-hearted grin, and muttered "bloody Voldermort, screwing with our heads..."

"Don't worry about it. Hey, there's Peter. Hey Wormtail!" Remus called down the hall.

Peter looked startled , almost nervous at the use of his Marauder nickname, but scurried down the hall to take his seat next to Remus.

"Hi guys" they all said "Hi" back, though James noticed Sirius' "Hi" was rather short and brusque, and when he glanced at his friend he saw that his face was unusually grim and his eyes had turned almost black. He dug Sirius in the ribs, who put his usual grin back on his face, though James could still see the strain in his face.

"Hey Pete" grinned Sirius "Where've you been? You got separated from us after we got out of the carriage."

"Oh, erm, yeah, I -had to-" stammered Peter

"Yes?" asked Sirius

"-go and see McGonagall. She thinks that I should drop Divination and have extra charms coaching." Peter finished up.

But before Sirius could worm anymore information out of Peter, Dumbledore rose from his chair and silence fell upon the Hall.

"Welcome one and all, and I am glad to see you all back again safe and whole- if not quite a few inches taller than last year!" he said looking briefly but pointedly at the Marauders who grinned back at their Headmaster. "But, before I get carried away, let us first have the Sorting of the First Year students, who have just arrived safely across the lake." He clapped his hands and the doors swung open, and in walked the Marauder's great friend, Hagrid the gamekeeper. He led the trailing procession of first years ("Merlin, they're short" muttered James to Sirius) up between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables, as he passed, flashed a grin and nodded at the Marauders who cheerfully grinned back.

Hagrid led his charges to the staff table, and, his duty for the evening done, took his seat next to the Potions master, Professor Slughorn muttering cheerily "Alright Sluggy?"

Slughorn murmured back "yes, thank you. How was the crossing?"

"Ruddy awful" answered Hagrid as he doffed his overcoat onto the back of his chair and took a hearty swig of the tankard of mead that was waiting for him at his place.

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter turned their attentions to Professor McGonagall, who was stood next to a three-legged stool upon which sat the ancient Sorting Hat, and was opening the scroll upon which the names of the first year students were written.

She called out "Arron, William"

A tall blonde boy strode up to the stool. James and Sirius watched him with interest.

"Quidditch?" inquires Sirius in a mutter of the Captain.

"Quidditch" was James' satisfied mutter back. James could spot naturals from afar.

"Pity we won't be here next year to see him play, isn't it?" commented James with a sad, wry smile. Sirius remained silent.

This was the first time it had really hit home to Sirius that they only had three terms left at Hogwarts. Then they were leaving. And that was it.

William was sorted into Gryffindor, and Sirius clapped heartily with the rest of the table as William took a seat at the table.

Sirius cast an amused glance, albeit unseen, at James, who had clearly gone off into a world of his own, his eyes glazed over slightly. Probably thinking out a dozen new game tactics for Quidditch, and the best way to completely slaughter Slytherin. Or, most likely, he's probably thinking about Evans. Crazy Boy.

James' concentration drifted, as it often did, from the mundane events of the sorting.

But he was not, as Sirius had thought, thinking about Quidditch or Lily. He was concerned about his best mate. Sirius, whilst being the most rash and hot-headed of the Marauders; had never been particularly suspicious. Or never enough to cause him to be this visibly upset, tense or nervous. With Sirius' hot-headedness came his unwavering intense loyalty, and, up until now, Sirius' loyalty to his friends had made him never question theirs. It was an unspoken understanding between them that they would risk their lives for each other. Loyalty and Love. The Marauders.

James knew that something had, well, spooked Sirius Black. And, for perhaps the first time when it came to his best friend, James was at a loss.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N- I finally found my notes for this chapter (and the next fair chunk of the fic…)! They've been missing for the last year, but turned up the other day in a box of random junk from University last year…so, now, I can continue the fic! Please review, constructive criticism please!_

James knew that everything was completely not alright with Sirius about a week into the summer holidays. Sirius normally stayed with the Potters for the last four weeks of the eight week holiday, and James and his parents hadn't expected Sirius until the 1st August.

Halfway through the second week of holidays, however, they awoke abruptly to a pounding of the door and frantic ringing of the bell at one o'clock in the morning, and Mr and Mrs Potter opened the door to a dripping Sirius, wet through from the thunderstorm that was the raging result of the humid weather they had been enduring.

James had run downstairs to the sight of his Mum and Dad hastily ushering in a now shivering Sirius towards the kitchen.

"Oh shit! Sirius, what's happened?"

James' mother spoke first. "James, go back to bed. Everything's… everything's OK."

James had absolutely no intention of going anywhere while his best friend was in this state.

Sirius was now sitting in a kitchen chair, his arms wrapped around his knees that he had foetal-y draw up to his chest. He was still shaking, water dripping from his hair into a puddle on the floor, in spite of the living room throw that James' father had grabbed on the way to the kitchen and wrapped around Sirius' soaked form.

The sight scared James. His pranking, laughing, confident friend was now sitting in his kitchen, shivering and wretched. And, given how tropical it was still outside, James figured Sirius was shivering and shaking from more than cold.

James asked Sirius again "Sirius, what the bloody hell's happened? –Merlin! Did you fly In this?" he exclaimed, seeing Sirius' Shooting Star 2000 on the floor. Still getting no response, he walked to the chair that Sirius sat on and put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

James tried to meet Sirius' gaze, but Sirius for the first time would not look at his best friend, but instead kept his gaze intently fixed upon the china cabinet.

"Sirius?" he said, more gently than before, his voice cracking slightly. James then felt a hand upon his own shoulder.

"C'mon son, I think that you should just go back to bed" said James' father gently, but with a distinct firmness that James' knew better than to defy. James sloped out of the kitchen, took one last look at Sirius, who was now resolutely staring at his own boots, and slowly made his way back up to his bedroom. James lay awake, staring at the ceiling, waiting for Sirius to come in and take possession of the bottom bunk, as was standard practice. But when he eventually heard footsteps on the landing, and the soft click of the spare bedroom door, and then his parent's bedroom door, James forced himself to rollover, and eventually sleep.


End file.
